Microsoft has said, though the company’s vice president for U.S. sales and marketing Keith Lorizio, that they are looking to push the available apps available for Windows 8 from the current 3,000 or so to over 100,000 in the three months following Windows 8’s launch.

Microsoft is also targeting 400 million devices actively running Windows 8 by July 2013 according to Lorizio, with that number encompassing new device installs as well as upgrades from Windows 7.

The apps target is critical for Window 8’s success however, as there will be ads embedded into the apps that are important for users. Somehow. Microsoft will reportedly be splitting ad revenue with app developers, with separate agreements for each dev and the apps store will need to be firmly in place in order for Microsoft to hit their active install goal.

“So all of the ads are going to be integrated, they’re not going to be disruptive for the user/consumer experience but beautiful, relevant and useful. It’s critical for us to get a critical mass of apps in order for the users to integrate in the … highest consumer-oriented experience.”

These apps won’t come cheap though. Lorizio went on to say “[W]e’re putting millions of dollars against that effort and working with publishers in order to their apps live as quickly as possible.”

Source: PC World